America: A Narrative History

This book came in good condition, but I hate its context. Unfortunately, I must read it for my IB history class.

As someone who likes history but hates studying it, this textbook was a gem. It is very brief and to the point, but it's the little things that really make this textbook shine. The first great bit that I loved was the free website that they offer with the book. Most other companies charge for this, so this was like having a little extra help for free. The next part that I liked was that there were plenty of little questions peppered throughout the book (usually under one of the many pictures) that students can use to test their comprehension of the material. Suffice to say, if you didn't know the answers to the questions that meant that you should go back & re-read the chapter. Now for the "but" part of my review. There are two flaws to this book, although neither are really terrible enough to warrant knocking the rating down. The first flaw is that the textbook does sadly suffer from "textbook-itis". Textbook-itis is when a publisher/writer has to boil a subject down to the bare minimum in order to squeeze all of the major details into a textbook. It's the best way to ensure that everything is taught, but unfortunately it does make for a dull read for the average student. The other "flaw" is that the book isn't entirely non-partial. It's rather subtly done & most students would never realize it unless they read the chapters over & over again. It doesn't interfere with the reading & to be honest, the viewpoints are so common that they aren't controversial at all. I honestly don't mind reading an author's viewpoint & in the case of this book I do agree with their opinions, but textbooks are supposed to be non-partial. Still, this is a great textbook when all things are considered. I do recommend that if you aren't great when studying in a classroom situation that you take the time to find a few accompaniments to help you with the text. I personally liked to use the sparknotes guidelines with this book.

This is one of the very best American History books available. It is detailed but not laborious. Tindal and Shi include all the critical issues of American History but also add information that makes reading very interesting. I also recommend the companion reader for college instructors, high school teachers and the rest of us nerds who just like to read about history.

A huge book that traces the history of America from pre-Columbus through present day. Although considered by many to be a "text book" for study, it is not written in that format. It reads easily and clearly. It is non-biased and informative. The pictures are helpful. It's the first book on American history that I have been able to finish. Although expensive, I think that every book collection should have a copy and it is an essential part of any history collection.

As an A-Level History student studying U.S. history, I have found this book invaluable in revision and essay writing. Information is easily accessed, and it is a concise and to-the-point text. Far better in many respects to Hugh Brogan's text, I would highly recommend it to all students.